-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Dr. Kimberly Young-McLear, a Commander in the United States Coast Guard, on the occasion of her retirement from Federal service.

In December 2019, during my tenure as Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Commander Young-McLear testified before our Committee and the Committee on Oversight and Reform in a joint hearing titled, ``Righting the Ship: The Coast Guard Must Improve its Processes for Addressing Harassment, Bullying, and Retaliation.'' The hearing was the culmination of an 18-month investigation into how the Coast Guard mishandled Commander Young-McLear's allegations of harassment and bullying based in part on her race, gender, and sexual orientation and failed to protect her from prohibited retaliation. The hearing, along with the issuance of a joint staff report on the results of the investigation, prompted the Coast Guard to implement several recommendations to improve its anti-harassment policies, investigative processes, and civil rights manual. Commander Young-McLear's courage in coming forward led directly to these critical changes to root out harassment and bullying and drive accountability within the Coast Guard.

In the years since, Commander Young-McLear has continued to be an advocate before Congress and resource for victims and whistleblowers across the government, while steadfastly serving the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Commander Young-McLear has served with distinction in several roles at DHS, including as Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary, as a professor at the Coast Guard Academy, and as Senior Advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Among her many contributions, Commander Young-McLear developed and delivered over 10 academic courses to more than 800 Coast Guard cadets across business, marine science, and cyber systems majors; played a key role in developing the Coast Guard's first Cyber Strategy and CISA's first Strategic Plan; and successfully advocated for policies enhancing diversity, inclusion, and equality across the Department.

Commander Young-McLear's bravery, perseverance, and integrity provide a model for civil servants across government. Her valuable contributions throughout her 20-year career have informed Congress' oversight and legislative work, including that of the Committee on Homeland Security, and improved the Coast Guard's ability to execute its mission by reinforcing the need for all servicemembers to act with honor and integrity.

I am proud to have worked with Commander Young-McLear during her tenure at the Coast Guard. I rise to honor her service and wish her well.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source